


A mix of random requests and other pieces tumblr keeps swallowing

by SinnerForAsrian (KuroKittyPurr)



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 23:58:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19239712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuroKittyPurr/pseuds/SinnerForAsrian





	1. Asra x Elye

               The third candle that night flickers and dies, leaving the room in complete darkness. With a groan, Elye got up and Opened the door. Golden light invaded the space around them, a faint smell of pumpkin bread reaching their nostrils. “So Asra is here, huh?” they thought, entering the kitchen and setting a pot with milk above the fire. They needed a drink, and they needed it soon. Learning the healing spell was proving to be more difficult than they expected, and a thought wasn’t giving them peace. What if it was because their magic, after all the wounds and pain they have caused, was never going to be able to heal? Every failed attempt to light their hands with the golden healing magic seemed to be proof of it.

               A mix of cold rage and sadness filled Elye’s chest. It was all because of Lucio. But at least they were free now. No more killing at the command of a coldblooded mercenary, no more blood covering their hands. But the nightmares seemed to never end.

               Starting to prepare their favourite drink, a thick cinnamon spiced chocolate, they took a deep breath and tried to calm down. They just had to try another spell. They would come back to this one when they were in a better place of mind. Their hands were steady while stirring the ingredients and pouring the hot milk, the movements encrypted in their memory so well they barely needed to think.

               Hearing Asra pull a chair startled them, as they couldn’t remember hearing him around. Turning around, mug in their hands, they settled their glare on the young magician. The fluffy hair and lean figure, the big, violet eyes and the tawny skin, they all foretold that he was going to get even more beautiful with time, and that made their heart flutter for a second. Elye studied his face, hands wrapped around the warmth of the drink they were holding.

               “Did anything happen?”

               “I just can’t get the click of this healing spell. I’ve been trying to get it right all afternoon.”

               Elye lifted the cup to their lips and drank. The familiar texture and taste filled their mouth, bringing back the memory of better days. Asra just stared, and stared.

               “Elye? Smile for me. You look really down in the dumps.”

               The apprentice’s eyes lingered on Asra’s face a bit more before their lips curled into a smile that lit their entire face.

               “Like this?”

               “Exactly like that,” Asra answered, his voice cracking a bit, his cheeks getting red.

               He was feeling like that every time he was around Elye, ever since he found them and helped them rebuild their life. Whenever they smiled, flashing their teeth in such an innocent way, the corners of theirs eyes wrinkled and their eyes lit up, he felt his heart burst. He doubted they would ever feel the same about him, but sometimes, in moments like that, he dared to hope.

               “Asra? Are you okay? You’re blushing.”

               “Oh, it’s nothing,” he answered, shaking his head. “I can try to help you with the spell, if you want.”

               “I’d rather not, today. Are you staying? I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

               “I’m staying. And I have a lot of stories to tell you,” the young magician answered, hiding the flutter of his heart. This time only, he was going to indulge into imagining: what if?


	2. Asra x Ryan (borrowed apprentice)

               “Ryan. Ryan, dear, wake up. Ryan! The sun is rising soon and my friend won’t wait for us.”   
               “Five more minutes…” the apprentice sleepily said and tried to turn on the other side, but Asra pinned his arms and started pressing kisses on his face.

               “Come on, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time. You wouldn’t want to miss it, would you? Not after we’ve promised each other all those things...” the magician whispered between kisses, a smirk blooming on his lips.

               Ryan sleepily rubbed his eyes and blinked. “How about you give me a proper kiss first?” he asked, a glimmer of mischief appearing in his eyes.

               Asra just laughed and complied, drawing his lover into a long and loving kiss. He was smiling when they broke apart. “Are you ready to get up now? We’ll have to run.”

               In record time they were both outside, satchels on their shoulders, running on the streets of Vesuvia and into the fields. Just as the sun was raising above the horizon, they saw a beast standing up from its nest in the hay.   
               “Hello, friends. You are just in time. Hop on! Time waits for no one,” it said, stretching its back and then leaning down for them to climb.

               Riding the beast felt different than riding any other animal. Its movements were swift and strong, unlike anything else. It wasn’t running, not exactly, as it seemed to make leaps ahead. Ryan couldn’t remember if that’s how it felt the first time they rode the beast, but it didn’t matter. He wrapped his arms tighter around Asra and laughed as the wind blew through his hair, landscapes changing in the blink of an eye.

               They reached Nopal’s edge in what felt like forever and yet barely a moment, dismounted and thanked the beast. It bowed low and reminded them to meet at sunset in three days, then leaped away. Asra and Ryan waved goodbye, then laced their fingers together and entered Asra’s escape.

               Everything was just the way they left it the last time they had been there. The warm yellow light embraced them, and Asra scooped Ryan up. The apprentice wrapped his legs around Asra’s waist, and they both laughed as they kissed and collapsed into the bed.

               “You seem to want to spend more time in bed now,” Ryan teased as he pinned Asra down. “Too bad that I heard music in the village. I wanna see what’s happening,” he continued before pressing his lips on Asra’s.

               “Then we’ll go. In five minutes,” the magician smiled under the kiss and slipped his hands in his lover’s hair, pulling him closer.

               Their kisses were slow and warm and felt like home, just as they did every time. With magical precision, Ryan untangled his body from Asra’s after the promised five minutes, then leaned against the door with a smile as Asra pouted.

               “No chance for me to get more?”

               “Not before we go to the village. I hope they have food, I’m hungry,” he said, and his stomach grumbled supportively.

               As soon as they entered the village, they saw cacti blooming everywhere. People were smiling and eating some plump juicy fruits, their lips stained red.

               “Do you know what they could be celebrating?” Ryan asked, watching everything a little wide eyed.

               “It looks like the first cactus harvest of the year to me. Come, let’s see the central plaza, that’s probably where the music’s coming from.”

               The closer they got to the plaza, the louder the music was. Colorful clothes, so different from the ones the nopalians usually wore, seemed to fill the place as people danced around the well.

               “That looks so fun! But… I really want the food first.”

               They searched around with their eyes until they spotted the merchants with ripe fruit and fried cacti. They didn’t let the magicians pay, insisting it was a thank you for fixing their water pipes. The magicians accepted with a smile, then stayed to banter as they ate their food.

               “How has stuff been going on here lately?”

               “The harvest was very good, everything is blooming how it hasn’t since I was a child… you know, before all that business with the count. Once he came here, nothing seemed to work properly, but now that he’s gone, things are going back to how they used to be. My wife was happy to make dye again, she hadn’t had enough fruit for it in a long time.”

               “That’s good to hear. Is all this red cloth dyed with fruit dye?” Ran asked, biting into a fried cactus.

               “It is! No other red like this in the whole world. Finally, we can sell some to the prakrans and get some materials to expand. Now that the fruits are here again as they once used to be, our poverty will soon become just a dark memory. But it’s enough of that. You two should join the dancers! I can’t let you hang by my booth and miss all the fun! And come back whenever you want more food, there’s plenty!”

               So they did. They danced and danced, until their feet hurt from the dancing and their faces hurt from all the smiling. They collapsed under a tree on the edge of the plaza to catch their breath, and they gazed up to the stars.

               “The moon. It’s really big tonight,” Asra noticed.

               “That’s what he said,” Ryan replied with a grin.

               The magician laughed and kissed him, their lips tasting like fruit and home. “I think it’s time we go back to the house,” Ryan whispered and got up, reaching to help Asra up too.

               “You think?”

               The door wasn’t yet closed right when they started pulling on each other’s clothes, their fingers working with fervor to reach to skin. Ryan pushed Asra with his back against a wall and kissed his neck, delighting in the feeling of the magician pulling him closer.

               “I haven’t forgotten what we promised,” he whispered.


	3. Asra x Ryan (borrowed character) x Dion (borrowed character)

              

The sun beamed and its light refracted in all the crystals on the stall, and Ryan had to squint to protect his eyes. There were so many… he wished Dion was with him, but the other apprentice didn’t feel like going out. He hadn’t been himself at all lately, and Ryan was worried for him.

               His gaze lingered on a certain zoisite obelisk. He hadn’t seen one so beautiful before, and he was sure that Dion hadn’t either. On impulse, he bought it and stuffed it in his already too full bag. Maybe it was going to help cheer Dion up.

               As he was passing by the oils and soaps stalls, an idea popped in his mind. Maybe his lover just needed a little more attention and love in order to come back to his usual self. He walked confidently to a seller and she welcomed him with a smile.

               “How may I help ya?” she asked, the words rolling off her tongue as if they were magic.

               Ryan lifted his eyebrows in surprise – he had only heard Asra talk like that before. “I am looking for something with a soft perfume, that would relieve anxiety and maybe also moisturize the skin? It doesn’t have to be only one product – I was thinking maybe a bath bomb and some oil? And a nice shampoo too?”

               The seller closed her eyes and thought for a bit before reaching to the bottles on the stall. “Lavender, chamomile and lemon balm for the bath bomb. Vanilla for the body butter – I like it better than oil when it comes to anxiety – and lemon balm and apricots for the shampoo. The sweet smell of apricots and vanilla always calms me down. Or if you don’t like that…”

               “No, it’s good. I would have chosen the same,” Ryan answered with a smile.

               The seller offered him the bottles in a little linen bundle, and told him to come again if he ever needed anything, then winked. Ryan tried to hide the faint blush in his cheeks, but her smile assured him of his failure.

               The bell chimed when he entered the shop. Asra was tending the counter, but Dion was nowhere in sight.

               “He’s sleeping. Or at least said he was going to sleep. He’s been a little off lately, don’t you think so?” Asra asked as he reached for Ryan’s bag and started putting herbs and jars on the shelves.

               “I noticed too. So I got him something nice and I was thinking… do you think we could close the shop early tonight? Spend some extra time with him? I got some bath stuff, and I was thinking you could cook his favorite dinner and fetch some pumpkin bread.”

               “That’s a wonderful idea! Come here, you deserve a kiss,” he said and reached over the counter. Ryan chuckled and kissed him back, but pulled away first. “Do you think we should have a picnic? You know how Dion loves being in the forest.”

               “We can do that. Look, if you go now for the squash and bread, we can leave in an hour or so. And when we’re back we can have that bath.”

               “I’ll be back in no time,” Ryan winked and blew Asra a kiss.

               Preparations didn’t take long – and quite soon everything was packed in a basket and covered with a cotton napkin.

               “You should go wake him up,” Asra said. “And show him the zoisite too.”

               Ryan climbed up the stairs with catlike steps and pushed the door to their bedroom open. Dion was curled up in bed, Faust snuggled to his chest. His eyes fluttered open as soon as Ryan entered.

               “Hi there, love. How was your nap?”

               “I couldn’t sleep. It feels… something feels wrong.”

               “I noticed. So I got you this!” Ryan said as he revealed the green and pink obelisk. “And Asra and I have prepared a little surprise for you,” he continued as he gave Dion the crystal.

               His hands wrapped around the cold and smooth surface and he smiled. “This one seems to sing to me. Thank you. Also… surprise you said?”

               “Yes, we’re going to have a picnic. So put on some clothes so we can go, alright? You’re gonna love it.”

               Dion got up and started putting clothes on, his movements both slow and curious. When he finished, Ryan offered his arm and they both walked out.

               “Ready for an adventure?” Asra asked and latched his free arm with Dion’s.

               “I-I guess,” he said and smiled shyly.

               The cobblestone felt warm under his bare feet, the last bits of the day’s heat swept away by a calm wind as the sun was setting down. They walked to the forest and to their favorite clearing in silence, and Dion seemed a little less anxious with each step they took away from the city.

               “Well, this is it. Ryan, if you’re so kind, can you put up the fairy lights as I lay the blanket?”

               Little magic lighting bugs erupted from Ryan’s hands and filled the clearing with their dance as Asra laid down a blanket.

               “That’s… the one I crocheted for you to take on your travels, isn’t it?” Dion asked as he sat down.

               “It is! It’s my favorite one, I always have it with me. It reminds me of you,” the magician said as he sat down, crossed his legs and started pulling food and bowls out of the basket.

               “The bread is still hot,” Ryan noticed as he took a knife and started cutting thick slices.

               “A little magic here and there, to make sure my boys only get the best,” Asra smirked and started pouring soup in three bowls.

               Dion inhaled deeply. “Is this… spiced butternut squash soup? And is that fresh bread and butter?” he continued as his eyes lit up.

               “It is! I knew it was going to make you feel better,” Ryan said with a smile as he put butter on a slice of bread and offered it to his lover. “Here, eat. I barely saw you eat these days.”

               It was true. With his anxiety on insane levels, Dion could barely force himself to eat. But something about the forest and his lovers helped him feel better. He started eating, and hunger hit him halfway through the first serving. To Ryan’s amusement, he asked for a second serving and nearly for a third one.

               “Take it easy, my love, you don’t want to get sick and there’s also dessert,” Asra stopped him from getting another slice of bread with a chuckle. “Let’s clean this up before we take that out, shall we?”

               With everything back in the basket, Asra took out three still steaming loaves of pumpkin bread and a little bowl of sweet cream cheese. If one’s eyes could change their shape based on their feelings, then Dion’s would have been heart shaped.

               They finished eating and then laid on their backs to look at the sky, Dion’s feet not completely on the blanket, his heels touching the grass.

               “Thank you for this picnic. I feel a lot better,” he said, his hands reaching to touch both his lovers. A warm hand ruffled his hair.

               “Don’t worry about it, we just love you a lot. But we’re not done with the surprise yet,” Ryan said. “So whenever you’re ready to go back, there’s something more waiting for you.”

               If it were after him, Dion would have spent eternity there. But in the end, curiosity won and he jumped to his feet. “Let’s go back, I think I’m ready.”

               The way back was filled with Asra and Ryan teasing each other and Dion, making their usual dirty jokes and flustering Dion with their flirting. When they got back at the shop, Ryan pulled Dion by the hand to the bathing room.

               “I got you some nice things from the market today. Asra will make tea and join us in a bit – I thought it would be nice to have a relaxing bath. We could chat and wash each other’s hair,” he started rambling.

               Dion blushed a little at the thought, but shrugged it off soon. They were his lovers after all – a bath was going to be enjoyable.

               As they waited for the bathtub to fill, they changed into their bathing robes and Ryan helped Dion wash his hair. The warm water turned the later into a pliant, soft figure, and when Ryan’s finger started washing his hair a little pleasure sound escaped his lips.

               “That was nice, wasn’t it?” Ryan asked with a smile just as Asra entered the room.

               “I hope you’re not having too much fun without me,” he said as he put down the tea service and started changing into his bathing robes.

               “Dear, how could we? You put the fun in everything,” Ryan teased him. “And you taught us everything we know!”

               A deep flush covered Dion’s cheeks as he stood up and slipped into the bathtub.

               “I have something more for you,” Ryan said and pulled up the bath bomb. “You liked the last one I got you, didn’t you?”

               Dian’s eyes seemed to sparkle for a second. “I did,” he said as he dropped the pale purple ball into the water and watched it dissolve.

               His posture was relaxed and happy, Asra noticed with pleasure as his fingers washed Ryan’s hair. Ryan had been right, Dion just needed a little extra love.

               After they finished washing, they lounged together on the low bench and massaged each other’s skin with the body butter as they gossiped about what was happening at the Palace and in the city, as well as what they had heard from their clients. Dion felt himself warm and a little dizzy, sleep taking over his tired and finally relaxed body and mind.

               “Should we go to bed now, my love?” Asra asked as he ran his fingers through Dion’s still damp hair.

               “That would be nice, if we could.”

               “Of course we can.”

               With a flicker of his hand, Asra summoned a warm wind that dried their hair and clothes, pushing Dion even deeper in his drowsiness. They snuggled together in their bed, the cool sheets smooth against their bodies as they snuggled together. Faust slithered between them and wrapped herself around Dion’s shoulders, giving him a light squeeze. “Friend happy!” she chirped in their minds. Dion giggled and scratched her chin. “Yes, Faust, friend happy. Thanks to everyone – it really wouldn’t have been possible without you all.”

               Asra and Ryan kissed both his cheeks at the same time, making him blush again. “You deserve to be happy, Dion,” Asra said.

               “And we’ll do whatever we can to make you feel that way,” Ryan continued.

               Dion smiled and wrapped his arms around both of them, pulling them closer to his chest before falling asleep with their arms around him.

               He was happy, and he was lucky to have found a family here.


	4. Asrian

I. Wicked Games

 

He sat on the edge of the bed and looked over his shoulder at the tanned body still sleeping, legs tangled in the sheets. What was he doing? This couldn’t go anywhere good.

               Sure, they were friends. Sure, there was sexual tension between them. And sure, he was dying for the few hours of release Asra was able to give him every time when they were together, but none of this was _good._ They were both in pain, and their pain was the base of the relationship, and sometimes they were just causing more pain to each other…

He sighed and thought about his apprentice, but the pain just felt like numbness. He had lost them because he didn’t pay enough attention, and he couldn’t shake off the feeling that they could have been more than just friends if things had been different. He missed them and he missed the way he felt when they were together, even when everything else was dark around them.

But they were gone now, and he was left with searching for pieces of them in everyone he met, and so far Asra seemed to have the most.

“Julian?” Asra’s sleepy voice called. “What are you doing?”

“Thinking.”

“About?”

“Us. Them. Us again,” the doctor answered and turned to face Asra. “I… I don’t want tofall in love with you, but I feel like I can’t help it.”

“Just… don’t do it. I’m just gonna break your heart.”

Julian stopped for a second before exhaling and nodding. “I know.”

Asra sighed. “Maybe it’s time for you to go for the day. I’ll see you tomorrow at the Palace?”

“I guess so,” he muttered before getting up. “Goodnight, Asra.”

“Goodnight. Take care of yourself.”

 

II. Tell me lies

 

Hazy.  
               He might have had one glass too many. It didn’t matter. He took another.

The man on the other side of the table was just as drunk, his eyes glassy from the alcohol and red from crying.

“Lie to me, Ilya. Tell me everything is gonna be alright,” the white haired man said.

“It won’t, and you know it, Asra. The plague… it’s too much for me. I don’t know what to do anymore. My mind is shutting down, unable to think of any more solutions. The best we can hope for is that we all die and take it with us. But we won’t, will we? Not with the beetles still swarming around. I wish I could crush each and every one of them under the heels f my boots.”

“That’s just… the truth. But it’s not what I want to hear now. Tell me… tell me anything. Tell me that tomorrow, when we wake up, this will all be just a bad dream. Tell me no one has really died and this is all unreal. Tell me you want me, tell me anything, tell me lies. Make me feel something...” he trailed off, voice cracking.

Julian looked up from his glass, his eyes just as haunted as Asra’s. “That last thing you said… that wouldn’t be a lie. Maybe… maybe we can make each other feel something,” he breathed, his eyes and chest flushing bright red.

Asra measured him with his glare and stood up. “Let’s go to my place, and hope that tomorrow will be a better day than today. I’ll make you feel something – you better make e feel something too, not waste my time. My heart is already too broken.”

Julian just nodded and offered his arm, struggling to stay up right. “Worry not, my good friend, mine is just as broken.”

 


	5. Nadia x Afra (borrowed character) pampering

               “Nadia, it’s late, come to bed,” Afra whispered to the countess. The beeswax candles were nearly burnt out, the whole palace silent.

               “Just a bit more, my love. I really need to finish writing these documents,” the countess answered with a yawn.

               Afra approached her and gently pressed their lips together. Nadia’s body seemed to relax as she closed her eyes and kissed Afra back. The magician slithered her fingers in Nadia’s hair and pulled her closer, obtaining a pleasured sound from her.

               “Take a break. I’ll wash your hair, if you let me,” Afra insisted, her thumbs kneading a tense spot on Nadia’s neck. “You deserve to relax a little, you’ve been working like crazy lately.”

               “I need to rebuild Vesuvia,” the countess protested, tiredness obvious in her voice.

               “You can’t rebuild anything if you fall sick. Let me take care of you tonight.”

               With a deep sigh, Nadia got up and stretched her back. The bags under her eyes had been growing in the last weeks, and Afra was glad to finally be able to offer her lover some time to relax.

               “I’ll start the water. See if you can get some tea, it will help you warm up a bit, your hands have grown cold.”

               Soon the bathtub was filled and a trail with tea and cakes brought in the room. With Nadia seated on the stool and leaning against her, Afra poured water on the pink and purple hair and then filled her hands with shampoo.

               “You need to take more care of yourself,” she scolded Nadia as she was massaging her scalp. “Yesterday I saw you run several times into the corner of the table in the salon, you’re pushing yourself so much it’s a wonder you can still walk.”

               “I know, my dear, but what’s there to do when there are so many things that need to be done for the people?”

               “Let Consul Valerius help you more. He is a good man. You may not agree with him on everything, but he can’t improve if you don’t give him a chance,” Afra said, rubbing the shampoo in Nadia’s hair and then starting to rinse it.

               “I… I will consider that, Afra. Thank you for the advice. You always give me good ideas when I don’t know what to do anymore.”

               “I just want to help you. Come on, time to get in the water.”

               The warmth engulfed Nadia and she felt all her muscles slowly relax. Afra fed her bits of cake and talked about the shop, Ari, her ideas for her next Masquerade outfit and anything that would keep Nadia’s mind away from her everyday worries. When the countess seemed close to falling asleep, Afra made her get out of the bathtub, helped her dry her skin and made her lay in bed.

               “I would like to now massage your muscles, so please lay still.”

               “Do whatever you want, my love,” Nadia answered, her cheeks flushed, her naked form darker than the lavender bedsheets.

               The magician warmed oil in her hands and sat on top of Nadia’s tights. When she started kneading her still tense muscles, Nadia groaned softly. “That’s what happens when you never relax, countess,” Afra said, without flinching.

               As Nadia’s muscles came back to normal, Afra’s movements became slower and more intimate. Caresses on her sides, stomach, hips, thighs, them magician knowing too well what she was doing to the countess. When she started kissing down her chest and stopped to suck one her nipples, Nadia let out a soft whine, wanting more, but Afra knew better than to give in when she finally had the reins completely. She kept kissing Nadia’s torso, leaving small marks down her stomach as she went lower, down to where she was needed. She parted Nadia’s legs and pressed her mouth on her wet core, tasting and teasing, her every touch making Nadia louder and louder. Yet she didn’t push and didn’t demand more – for once, the countess was ready to give up all control, and that filled Afra with mad happiness and love. She started slowly, stroking the bundle of nerves with her tongue, but the more Nadia was whining and grasping the sheets, the more Afra wanted to give her. Her able fingers started moving inside of her lover, and it wasn’t long until she felt Nadia’s body tense before relaxing again, her muscles still throbbing under Afra’s lips. She took her mouth away, sucked her fingers and went higher again, laying next to Nadia. “Are you ready to sleep now, love?”

               Nadia didn’t answer, but pulled Afra in her arms and kissed her. “I am now.” 


	6. New Year's Party

“Asra, I can’t believe you’re actually making me do this. A New Year’s Sleepover? In pajamas? In front of all these people? I am so screwed.”

“Ari, everyone is in their pajamas. You fit in perfectly. And green makes your eyes look nice.”

“I’ll never forgive you for this,” the apprentice went on, clutching her cloak tighter around her body.

The two magicians entered the Palace ballroom and Ari was left wordless. “Everything looks so… cozy,” the apprentice muttered as she ran her gaze through the room. Pillows, mattresses, ottomans, sofas and blankets were spread everywhere around the room. Food was pilled on long tables, and the candelabra were giving just enough light to make everything seem intimate and warm. And there were people. So, so many other people that all seemed to know Asra. He presented Ari to all of them – at times, the apprentice recognized other magicians that were famous and had to contain her excitement.

A warm hand touched her shoulder and made her yelp. Turning around, she saw Julian.

“A little busy, aren’t we? Say, will you let me take you away for a moment?”

She nodded and followed him towards a balcony, giggling at the sight of his pajamas. What did she expect, if not tiny ravens flying on flannel? They leaned against the balcony railing and looked to the sky.

“It has been an amazing year. I wanted to thank you for everything. I… am really glad you’re here.”

“I’m glad I’m here too, Ilya,” Ari whispered softly, lacing her fingers with his.

Soft chewing sounds broke the romantic tension. They looked around and saw Volta in a long nightgown, chewing on some tarts, and giggled.

“Are they good, Procurator?”

“Ohhh, they are the best! Nadia always gives food so nice to little Volta!”

The woman was so much happier after her deal with the Devil had been broken, still always having something to eat around, but never famished as she was before. A group of people entered the balcony giggling, glasses of champagne in their hands, and caught Ari and Julian in their conversation. After a while, Ari managed to sneak away, the amount of voices feeling overwhelming, and poured herself a glass of wine. After hanging out with Portia for a few moments, she sat down on a pillow on the edge of the room and fell asleep.

“Ari, wake up, you don’t want to miss the fireworks,” a voice woke her up, hands shaking her shoulder.

Through her confusion she recognized the countess, flawless in her lavender nightgown. Rubbing her eyes, she stood up and followed her to the large windows. Colorful fires exploded in the dark sky and everyone was mesmerized, their glares stuck to the glittering bits. Somehow, it was the best way to enter the new year. 


End file.
